POST-BACCALAUREATE
Elementary Education
Leads to teacher licensure.

Qualified, caring teachers are always in demand. Put those natural abilities to use—along with your knowledge and experience—as a licensed elementary school teacher. Qualified, caring teachers are always in demand.

WGU’s Teachers College was named the best value in teacher education by the National Council on Teacher Quality—among 1,100 programs nationwide.

Named best value among 1,100 programs nationwide by the National Council on Teacher Quality.

Overview

Earn your elementary teacher certification online.

Prepare for a rewarding career that can make a lasting difference in your community. Becoming a licensed educator offers you a chance to make meaningful contributions to students’ lives both in and out of the classroom.

If you already hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-teaching field, this online teacher preparation program is a direct path for you to become a certified elementary school teacher. It will prepare you with the content knowledge and teaching skills you need to run your own elementary school classroom. Best of all, you’ll be prepared to meet licensure requirements in any of the 50 states.

While you’ll complete your coursework and assessments online, you’ll also get in-classroom experience. This program includes a preclinical experience where you’ll observe working teachers in their own classrooms, as well as a Demonstration Teaching component hosted by an experienced teacher and directed by a clinical supervisor.

82% of graduates finish in

11–24 mos.

WGU lets you move more quickly through material you already know and advance as soon as you're ready. The result: You may finish faster.

Graduates who recommend WGU:

97%

Prepare to lead your own classroom.

Shape the course of the future for yourself and your students—achieve your goal of a meaningful career in teaching. Graduates of this teacher preparation program work at elementary schools, middle and junior high schools, private academies, charter schools, and more. (Grade level eligibility will depend on your state’s corresponding license).

A highly relevant curriculum developed by education experts.

This post-baccalaureate teacher prep program gives you theoretical depth and practical experience—as well as strong curriculum planning and classroom management skills. WGU’s post-baccalaureate teacher preparation program in elementary education is nationally recognized by the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI).

WGU’s online post-baccaulareate program in elementary education was designed (and is regularly updated) with input from the experts on our Education Program Council. These respected authorities know exactly what it takes for a graduate to succeed at teaching English language learners who range in age from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

Key Subject Areas

Your program features courses designed to help you head up a successful classroom:

Foundational Perspectives of Education

Principles of Psychology, Child and Adolescent Development for Educators

A supported, personalized experience.

WGU is unlike any university you’ve experienced before—in the best possible way! Take a look at what we mean:

FacultyLearningAssessmentIn-Classroom ExperienceAlumni Support

Faculty

SUPPORTING YOU: Faculty focused on students.

WGU faculty members have one goal in mind: your success. A Program Mentor is your individually assigned faculty member, providing guidance and instruction from the day you start to the day you graduate. In addition, Course Instructors provide subject-matter instruction and support, typically one-on-one, exactly when you need it.

Learning

YOUR ROADMAP: A personalized learning plan.

Your program is made up of a series of courses, each a personalized journey toward subject mastery. A preassessment provides insight into what you already know. You’ll then learn what you still need to learn, using online learning resources—available 24/7—along with one-on-one or cohort-based faculty instruction.

Assessment

PROVE IT: Show you know your stuff.

WGU measures learning, not time, so each course in your program culminates in an assessment—a test, paper, project, or presentation that allows you to prove what you know. As soon as you’re ready, take the assessment—including the ability to take proctored exams from the comfort of your own home— via webcam, any time of day!

In-Classroom Experience

REAL-WORLD: Experience in a classroom.

Most of your program will be completed online but all teacher licensure programs—and many graduate-level programs for already-licensed teachers—also include the opportunity to observe and practice in a K–12 classroom setting. We’ll help you set everything up at a school near you.

Alumni Support

ALWAYS a Night Owl.

Continued support after you graduate includes many opportunities for professional development and enrichment, career support, and networking. WGU Night Owls may be independent learners, but they also become highly engaged in our active alumni community through apps, groups, and events.

The accreditation you need, plus industry respect and recognition.

One important measure of a degree’s value is the reputation of the university where it was earned. When employers, industry leaders, and academic experts hold your alma mater in high esteem, you reap the benefits of that respect. WGU is a pioneer in reinventing higher education for the 21st century, and our quality has been recognized.

Accredited

The WGU Teachers College is the first competency-based online university to receive accreditation for its degree programs that lead to teacher licensure from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). CAEP is the only recognized national accreditor for educator preparation.

Paired with WGU's university-wide accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, these accreditations assure your teaching degree from WGU will be highly respected.

Respected

“After graduating from WGU, and through all the rigor and quality of instruction that I received in the educational field, I was awarded Hawaii District Teacher of the Year in 2012.”

Amoreena Nestman M.A. Teaching – Elementary Education

Recognized

The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) in 2017 placed WGU’s Teachers College in the top 1% nationwide for the quality of its secondary teacher-preparation programs. This follows several other NCTQ recognitions, including the nation’s #1 best value for teacher education in 2015.

Accredited

Respected

Recognized

Our programs check all the boxes. If this degree is your goal, get started toward becoming a student today—programs start the first of each month.

When we say affordable, we mean it.

$445 per-term fees include Resource Fee of $145 (covers all e-books and learning resources, saving you hundreds per term) and Program Fee of $300 (covers costs of supervised field experiences).

Control the cost of your program: Our tuition links cost to time.

By charging per term rather than per credit—and empowering students to accelerate through material they know well or learn quickly—WGU helps students control the ultimate cost of their degrees.

Flat-rate tuition of $3,685 per term links cost to time.

By charging per 6-month term rather than per credit hour—and empowering students to accelerate through material they know well or can learn quickly—WGU helps students control the ultimate cost of their degrees.

There's help if you need it.

Financial aid is available.

Our goal: You graduate with little or no debt.

The average student loan debt of WGU graduates in 2016 (among those who borrowed) was less than half the national average. WGU’s three-pronged approach to keeping your debt low and your return on investment quick: One, provide useful information and advice on responsible borrowing before enrollment. Two, keep tuition low while you're enrolled. And three, offer degree programs that lead to better-paying jobs after graduation.

Degree Cost Comparison*

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Other Online Nonprofit University

WGU

Earn your elementary education certification for about half what you’d pay at another university.

Low tuition and the ability to accelerate make WGU more affordable than most other schools. When you compare us with other programs, WGU’s Post-Baccalaureate Teacher-Prep Program in Elementary Education offers rigorous curriculum with competitive post-graduation results for around half what you'd pay at another university—or even less.
*Estimates based on July 2017 WGU and other universities’ tuition data. Learn more about WGU's tuition and how it compares.

Transparent fees and no hidden costs.

The costs of attending college often include much more than tuition and fees. WGU is designed to be different, and that translates to cost savings everywhere from books to babysitting.

Other universities bury you in unexpected costs. Not WGU.

Click to explore the extra costs:

TuitionBooks

ParkingGas

Library / resource feesBabysitter every week fornighttime classes

WGU

Other online college

Traditional4 year school

This demonstration shows how various costs—including official fees and incidental costs of attending school—can add up in different learning environments. It's meant as an illustration only.

Curriculum that ensures you’ve mastered the things elementary school students need you to know.

At WGU, we design our curriculum to be timely, relevant, and practical—all to ensure your degree is proof you really know your stuff.
Every course focuses on a set of clearly defined competencies that you must prove you’ve learned—through tests, papers, projects, or other assessments. Demonstrating mastery is how you pass a course, so learning what it takes to be outstanding in your career is at the heart of WGU’s post-baccalaureate elementary teacher-prep program’s curriculum.
That means that what you learn will be directly applicable in your elementary school classroom. It’s all about real-world applicability so every moment spent studying is time well spent.

Courses in this program.

This program is made up of the following courses, which you will typically complete one at a time as you make your way through your program, working with your Program Mentor each term to build your personalized Degree Plan. You’ll work through each course as quickly as you can study and learn the material. As soon as you’re ready, you’ll pass the assessment, complete the course, and move on. This means that you can finish as many courses as you're able in a term at no additional cost.

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Foundations of Teaching

Foundational Perspectives of Education

This course provides an introduction to the historical, legal, and philosophical foundations of education. Current educational trends, reform movements, major federal and state laws, legal and ethical responsibilities, and an overview of standards-based curriculum are the focus of the course. The course of study presents a discussion of changes and challenges in contemporary education. It covers the diversity found in American schools, introduces emerging educational technology trends, and provides an overview of contemporary topics in education.

Principles of Psychology, Child and Adolescent Development for Educators

This course prepares candidates to support classroom practices with research-validated concepts in the areas of educational psychology and child/adolescent development. Candidates will be introduced to learning theories that equip them with knowledge and skills necessary to support the diverse populations of students with whom they will interact. Theories of human development, spanning early childhood through adolescence, also will be addressed, and students completing this course will be able to explain and analyze the guiding perspectives on physical, cognitive, and social development. Appropriate instructional and assessment strategies to support student learning and development also will be addressed. Students will complete ten hours of video-based classroom observations related to issues in educational psychology and learner development.

Fundamentals of Diversity, Inclusion, and Exceptional Learners

Fundamentals of Diversity, Inclusion, and Exceptional Learners prepares candidates to make decisions based on the history of inclusion and to develop practical strategies for differentiating instruction, in accordance with legal expectations, to meet the needs of a diverse learner population while creating a safe, inclusive, and culturally responsive learning space. Diverse populations include learners with disabilities, gifted and talented learners, culturally diverse learners, and English language learners. Candidates will learn when to employ assistive technologies to meet student needs, and they will begin to develop their skills for partnering with parents and advocating for students. Candidates will complete ten hours of video-based classroom observations focused on the needs of diverse and exceptional learners. This course has no prerequisites.

Classroom Management, Engagement, and Motivation

Students will learn the foundations for effective classroom management as well as strategies for creating a safe, positive learning environment for all learners. Students will be introduced to systems that promote student self-awareness, self-management, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. In this course, students will engage practical application via ten hours of video classroom observations. Students will reflect on how teachers use rules/procedures to maximize student learning and on what makes a highly effective classroom environment. As part of a culminating experience in this course, students will, through the video observation reflections, describe their current teaching philosophy related to classroom environment and management.

Mathematics for Elementary Educators III engages pre-service elementary teachers in mathematical practices based on deep understanding of underlying concepts. The course covers important topics in statistics, measurement, and covers geometry from synthetic, transformational, and coordinate perspectives. This is the third course in a three-course sequence.

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Instructional Planning and Presentation

Instructional Planning and Presentation in Elementary Education

Instructional Planning and Presentation assists students as they continue to build instructional planning skills. Topics include unit and lesson planning, instructional presentation strategies, assessment, engagement, integration of learning across the curriculum, effective grouping strategies, technology in the classroom, and using data to inform instruction.

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Elementary Education Methods

Elementary Reading Methods and Interventions

Elementary Reading Methods and Interventions provides students seeking initial teacher licensure in elementary education with an in-depth look at best practices for developing the reading and writing skills of all students. Course content examines the stages of literacy development, the balanced literacy approach, differentiation, technology integration, literacy-assessment, and the comprehensive Response to Intervention (RTI) model used to identify and address the needs of learners who struggle with reading comprehension. This course has no prerequisites.

Language Arts Instruction and Intervention

Language Arts Instruction and Intervention helps students learn how to implement effective language arts instruction and intervention in the elementary classroom. Topics include written and spoken English, expanding students' knowledge, literature rich environments, differentiated instruction, technology for reading and writing, assessment strategies for reading and writing, and strategies for developing academic language.

Application of Elementary Social Studies Methods helps students learn how to implement effective social studies instruction in the elementary classroom. Topics include social studies themes, promoting cultural diversity, integrated social studies across the curriculum, social studies learning environments, assessing social studies understanding, differentiated instruction for social studies, technology for social studies instruction, and standards-based social studies instruction. This course helps students to apply, analyze, and reflect on effective elementary social studies instruction.

Application of Elementary Visual and Performing Arts Methods

Application of Elementary Visual and Performing Arts Methods helps students learn how to implement effective visual and performing arts instruction in the elementary classroom. Topics include integrating arts across the curriculum, music education, visual arts, dance and movement, dramatic arts, differentiated instruction for visual and performing arts, and promoting cultural diversity through visual and performing arts instruction. This course helps students to apply, analyze, and reflect on effective elementary visual and performing arts instruction.

Application of Elementary Physical Education and Health Methods

Applications of Elementary Physical Education and Health Methods helps students learn how to implement effective physical and health education instruction in the elementary classroom. Topics include healthy lifestyles, student safety, student nutrition, physical education, differentiated instruction for physical and health education, physical education across the curriculum, and public policy in health and physical education. This course helps students to apply, analyze, and reflect on effective elementary visual and performing arts instruction.

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Effective Teaching Practices

Elementary Disciplinary Literacy

Elementary Disciplinary Literacy examines teaching strategies designed to help learners in grades K–6 develop the literacy skills necessary to read, write, and think critically while engaging content in different academic disciplines. Course content highlights strategies to help learners distinguish between the unique characteristics of informational texts while improving comprehension and writing proficiency across the curriculum. Strategies to encourage inquiry and cultivate skills in critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity also are addressed. This course has no prerequisites.

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Pre-Clinical Experiences

Preclinical Experiences in Elementary Education

Preclinical Experiences in Elementary provides students the opportunity to observe and participate in a wide range of in-classroom teaching experiences in order to develop the skills and confidence necessary to be an effective teacher. Students will reflect on and document the 75 hours of in-classroom observation and experience in their performance assessments. Prior to entering the classroom for the observations, students will be required to meet several requirements including a cleared background check, passing scores on the state or WGU required basic skills exam and a completed resume.

Supervised Demonstration Teaching in Elementary Education involves a series of classroom performance observations by the host teacher and clinical supervisor that develop comprehensive performance data about the teacher candidate’s skills.

Supervised Demonstration Teaching in Elementary Education involves a series of classroom performance observations by the host teacher and clinical supervisor that develop comprehensive performance data about the teacher candidate’s skills.

Supervised Demonstration Teaching in Elementary Education involves a series of classroom performance observations by the host teacher and clinical supervisor that develop comprehensive performance data about the teacher candidate’s skills.

Supervised Demonstration Teaching in Elementary Education, Observation 6 and Final

Supervised Demonstration Teaching in Elementary Education involves a series of classroom performance observations by the host teacher and clinical supervisor that develop comprehensive performance data about the teacher candidate’s skills.

Teacher Performance Assessment in Elementary Education

The Teacher Performance Assessment is a culmination of the wide variety of skills learned during your time in the Teachers College at WGU. In order to be a competent and independent classroom teacher, you will showcase a collection of your content, planning, instructional, and reflective skills in this professional assessment.

Professional Portfolio

You will create an online teaching portfolio that includes professional artifacts (e.g., resume and Philosophy of Teaching Statement) that demonstrate the skills you have acquired throughout your Demonstration Teaching experience.

Cohort Seminar

Cohort Seminar provides mentoring and supports teacher candidates during their demonstration teaching period by providing weekly collaboration and instruction related to the demonstration teaching experience. It facilitates their demonstration of competence in becoming reflective practitioners, adhering to ethical standards, practicing inclusion in a diverse classroom, exploring community resources, building collegial and collaborative relationships with teachers, and considering leadership and supervisory skills.

Plan to work hard: Program requirements and expectations.

The post-baccalaureate program in elementary education is a mostly online program that you will complete by studying and working independently with instruction and support from WGU faculty. You will be expected to complete at least 8 competency units each 6-month term. (One course is typically 3 or 4 units.)

The first person you speak with at WGU will be your Enrollment Counselor, an expert in your program who can explain all the requirements and expectations in more detail. You can also read more about each course in the Program Guide.

State-specific licensure requirements: Each state in the U.S. has specific testing requirements that must be met or completed in addition to completing your teaching degree program at WGU. Teacher licensure requirements vary depending on state laws and may include a number of factors, such as:

Preclinical Experiences. Participate in a wide range of in-classroom teaching experiences through at least 75 hours of in-classroom observation.

Demonstration Teaching. To help you prepare to work in classrooms, this program includes a student teaching component (we call it Demonstration Teaching, or DT). DT is a full-time, supervised, in-classroom experience of a minimum of 12–20 weeks during which you will be hosted by an experienced teacher and observed by a Clinical Supervisor. Your host teacher will evaluate your performance based on accepted professional standards. Learn more.

Professional Portfolio. Your portfolio will include your resume and Philosophy of Teaching Statement and serve as a way to showcase the skills you have acquired throughout your degree program and Demonstration Teaching.

A top-quality curriculum developed with guidance from education leaders and academic experts.

To ensure our teaching degrees are consistent with the expectations of today’s schools, we develop courses with input from councils composed of nationally recognized experts in education. Council members offer guidance on key competencies to be expected from successful WGU graduates.

How You'll Learn

A different way to learn: Degree programs designed to fit your life—and all the demands on your time.

At WGU, we understand that you have professional responsibilities, family obligations, and personal commitments. That’s why we offer a personalized, flexible approach to higher education. You’ll work hard, you'll be challenged—and you'll get a solid, career-focused education that fits your life. Complete your coursework online, anytime and anywhere your schedule allows, and move through assignments and assessments at an accelerated pace if you’re able.

Designed for working teachers.

WGU's elementary education post-baccalaureate teacher-preparation program is designed for aspiring teachers who already have a non-teaching bachelor’s degree.

This program is specifically designed for working adult students, so you can honor your current work and family responsibilities while completing your coursework.

Competency-Based Education (CBE)

How it helps you

Efficient

Save time and money by focusing your efforts where they matter the most.

How much do you already know? Today’s adult students come from different professional backgrounds with varying levels of knowledge and experience. Competency-based education empowers you to take the most efficient path to complete your studies.

Flexible

Learn on your own terms.

What works best for you? No two students—or their schedules—are the same. Whether you’re at your best in the early morning or more energized when you get home from work, your study schedule can be personalized to accommodate your lifestyle and responsibilities.

Results

Know you’re learning real-world skills.

Will your teaching credentials be recognized? Today's schools look for teachers with the knowledge, skills, and experience to help students understand how to solve problems. WGU’s online teaching degree programs includes a student teaching component to prepare you for real-world classrooms.

Finish courses by proving what you know, as soon as you’re ready.

With competency-based education at WGU, success is measured by actual learning, not class time. You advance by demonstrating that you've mastered the course subject matter—whether you learned it through your study at WGU or picked up that knowledge through years of work experience.

Your progress through a course is driven by you.

How quickly you learn

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The time you devote to studying

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How much previous knowledge you bring

See it in action.

Play the game to see how a competency-based course works at WGU.

competency, noun

Demonstrated knowledge, skill, or ability required to advance in a degree program.

At WGU, course competencies are defined by an expert council, including employers.

For this course, there are 3 areas you need to prove competency in.

Start

First, let's take a pre‑assessment.

Determine what you already know from previous work and education experience, and where you need to focus your studies. Prove your competency in 3 areas in this exercise.

Result:

Your experience pays at WGU.

Making the switch to teaching elementary school is rewarding in many ways.

A nationwide shortage of teachers has created a demand for licensed educators with the passion, patience, enthusiasm, energy, and skills to teach young children how to love learning. Making a career change to elementary teacher is a highly rewarding decision with benefits for your life in and out of the classroom.

6%

The number of students enrolling in kindergarten and elementary schools is expected to increase significantly over the coming decade—and likely so will employment of kindergarten and elementary school teachers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 6% growth from 2014 to 2024.

—U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

WGU alumni teach in schools across the country.

Graduates of WGU’s Teachers College have found meaningful, rewarding careers in classrooms at:

Inclusionary K–12 classrooms

Middle/junior high schools

High schools

Private and charter schools

Impressive class of graduates.

Graduates of the WGU Teachers College include recipients of many professional honors, including:

Gates Millennium Scholars

Intel Grant for Mathematics and Technology

Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction Award

Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award

Association of Public Charter Schools Educator of the Year Award

Explore a career in elementary education.

Get info on an elementary school teacher's salary, job outlook, work environment, and more.

WGU is a university committed to producing successful grads.

The ultimate test of your degree's value is whether it helps you become an outstanding employee and advance your career. Our happy grads—and their happy employers—confirm that WGU is the path to that kind of degree.

Happy employers

Happy grads

They're Prepared.

Employers said that WGU graduates were prepared for their jobs.

They Perform.

Employers rated WGU graduates' job performance as very good or excellent.

They Wow.

Employers said their WGU graduates have exceeded their expectations.

They're Confident.

Graduates said the majority of their coursework was related to their jobs.

Your Enrollment Counselor is there to help you make an informed decision.

The first step toward change can be the hardest—we get it. Your "welcoming committee" at WGU is made up of Enrollment Counselors, Admissions Specialists, and faculty members. Your initial interactions at WGU will be guided by an Enrollment Counselor who specializes in the programs you're interested in.
Your Enrollment Counselor is ready with as much help as you may need:

WGU’s Teachers College provides a path for students to become licensed/certified teachers in each U.S. state and territory. In some cases, our program has already been approved for direct licensure/certification in your state. In other cases, you may apply for licensure/certification through reciprocity. Your Enrollment Counselor can give you specific information on your program of interest and how you may ultimately earn a license in your state. Please note that some programs do not have a corresponding license in certain states.

Admission requirements unique to this degree.

Students who are seeking initial teacher licensure in a bachelor’s, post-baccalaureate, or master’s program must also pass a state-specific basic skills test for the state in which they live as a prerequisite to Demonstration Teaching (student teaching). (Registering and paying for the test is the student’s responsibility.) This requirement can be met either prior to admission or before beginning the Foundations of Teaching subject area once you are in your WGU program.

WGU’s teacher licensure programs also include Demonstration Teaching (student teaching). You must be at least 18 years of age before you may begin the application process or participate in Preclinical Experiences and Demonstration Teaching. You must also submit to a criminal background check prior to entering the classroom for this component of your program.

WGU seeks to admit individuals who have the capacity and determination to complete a rigorous WGU degree program…and graduate. The admission process is designed to help you and the university reach an informed decision about your likelihood of success.
At WGU we want you to graduate, not just enroll. Consequently, not every applicant is admitted because not every individual is a good fit for WGU’s programs and competency-based, online academic model.

Common questions on initial teacher licensure:

What grades will I be able to teach?

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It depends on your state, so it is best to ask your Enrollment Counselor. Typically, Elementary teachers can teach anywhere from Kindergarten up to 8th grade, and secondary teachers in Math, English, or Science can teach anywhere from 5th to 12th grades.

How long is Demonstration (student) Teaching?

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Minimum of 12-16 weeks, but it depends on your state and program, and can be longer. Typically, one full traditional school semester.

How do I set up my Demonstration Teaching?

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WGU has a team that works with you to connect you with schools in your area, and with host teachers that will support you through their Demonstration Teaching.

Can I use my own classroom for the Demonstration Teaching placement?

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Your Enrollment Counselor can provide more details about your specific situation. While you can provide recommendations of a school you want to be placed in, generally, our Field Placement Office will be selecting and setting up the placement in the end.

Will this program lead to a teaching license in my state?

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Your Enrollment Counselor has access to an up-to-date database that tracks requirements and eligibility for all WGU programs and all US states and territories, so a conversation with your Enrollment Counselor can quickly verify this for you based on where you live and your desired program.

I am licensed to teach Secondary Education, but want to get an Elementary Education license as well. Can I start in your program?

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Our Post Baccalaureate and MAT Elementary education programs are designed for those wishing to become a teacher and obtain their initial teaching license. WGU does not offer an endorsement program to add an elementary endorsement to an existing license.

What will be required of me prior to student teaching?

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Students who are seeking initial teacher licensure in a bachelor’s, post-baccalaureate, or master’s program must pass a state-specific basic skills test for the state in which they live as a prerequisite to Demonstration Teaching (student teaching). (Registering and paying for the test is the student’s responsibility.) This requirement can be met either prior to admission or before beginning the Foundations of Teaching subject area once you are in your WGU program.

WGU’s teacher licensure programs also include Demonstration Teaching (student teaching). You must be at least 18 years of age before you may begin the application process or participate in Preclinical Experiences and Demonstration Teaching. You must also submit to a criminal background check prior to entering the classroom for this component of your program.

WGU is school on your terms.

School can fit into your life—start working toward your better future now.